Oxford announced Monday that the popular term “rizz” was its word of the year, beating out “Swiftie,” “situantionship,” and “de-influencing” to take the honor.
Each year Oxford celebrates newly created words or expressions that capture the spirit of the times, NPR reported. In addition, the word or phrase should have “potential as a term of lasting cultural significance” or provide “a snapshot of social history,” the Oxford University Press announced.
“Rizz” is believed to be derived from the second syllable of charisma and can be used in the context of chatting someone up, or to “rizz up” someone, the publisher said.
Tom Holland and sports reporter Shams Charania have become associated with the term, with Holland sparking an online debate last summer when he said, “I have no rizz whatsoever,” NPR reported. (RELATED: Merriam-Webster’s Words Of The Year List Is Straight Out Of A Liberal Arts Classroom)
After influencer Kai Cenat began using the term on Twitch, the word spread quickly to TikTok and other platforms, according to NPR.
Cenat, who livestreams himself playing video games, talking with celebrities, and pranking his friends, also gives advice on how to approach women, NPR reported.
“Rizz started with me and a few of my friends from back home,” the 21-year-old told the “No Jumper” podcast.
Describing a situation where one might use “rizz” when chatting a girl up, Cenat said, “Oh yeah, I rizzed her up. I got mad rizz.”
Oxford University Press said words like “rizz” speak “to how younger generations create spaces — online or in person — where they own and define the language they use,” the Associated Press reported. “From activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language, too.”
The American publisher Merriam-Webster placed “rizz” near the top of its 2023 list but gave first place to “authentic,” The AP reported.